


The Talk

by TranscendentalSpaceGem



Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), Awkward Conversations, Awkwardness, Connie is 17 and Steven is 19, F/M, Horny Teenagers, Nothing Explicit Happens, Parent-Child Relationship, Post-Canon, Sex Talk, Slightly - Freeform, So older, Teenagers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-04
Updated: 2021-02-05
Packaged: 2021-03-16 06:07:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 11,776
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29202576
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TranscendentalSpaceGem/pseuds/TranscendentalSpaceGem
Summary: Every parent dreads having this conversation. Nobody wants to think about their kids doing... that! Unfortunately, sometimes something happens that forces your hand. After an incident, Greg and Doug have no choice but to discuss with their teenagers exactly what is going on between Steven and Connie.
Relationships: Connie Maheswaran & Doug Maheswaran, Connie Maheswaran/Steven Universe, Greg Universe & Steven Universe
Comments: 7
Kudos: 40





	1. Birds

**Author's Note:**

> Short version: Sex talks with your dad are weird.

Greg wasn’t quite sure what to make of the phone call.

It wasn’t that he never spoke to Mr. Maheswaren. That would have been impossible considering their kids had been attached at the hip for the last six years. Although they hardly spoke about anything other than their children. They sometimes traded quick, funny stories about the other residents of Beach City and whatever strange thing they saw them get up to. A few times Greg and Pearl had stopped by in order to look at his car for him. They weren’t friends of any kind but they got along just fine. In general, Connie’s father seemed to be of a slightly warmer heart and friendlier disposition than her mother was.

Warm and friendly is not how Greg would describe the greeting he got when the man opened the door to his home to him. He was used to a gentle smile from Doug. That day he had a scowl when he met the other man at the door. Though it was not directed at him.

Greg had gotten the impression from the phone call this was not going to be a pleasant visit but the amount of freezing aura of anger that came off of the other man was still more off-putting than he expected. He almost shivered. Instead, he did what he did best and forced on a smile.

“Hey there, Doug,” Greg greeted trying to sound his usual self, “Been a while since I’ve been over to your casa. And it’s as lovely as ever if I might say.”

“Hello, Mr. Universe,” Doug began seriously. Oof! He’d hit him with his last name rather than calling him Greg. Whatever was happening must have been something serious. The other man stepped aside to let him in. Greg had no reason not to oblige so he did. He noticed Doug didn’t close the door behind him as he walked in. He instead stood by the door, keeping it open as if this would not take long and Greg would be leaving soon.

“So why did you call me over?” Greg asked once inside. There was no need to make too much small talk, especially when he didn’t seem keen on keeping the man any sort of kind company. Still angry faces usually called for the old Universe charm. Approachability went a long way with other people. He truly believed in that and he had taught Steven the same. From the way that the firm, angry brow on Doug's face dipped, it had not worked.

“Dad!” Greg heard a moment later. It was at this time he noticed that Connie and Steven were also in the living room. The two teenagers were sitting as far away from each other as one couch would allow. They kept glancing at each other awkwardly before looking away. They were fidgeting a lot as if neither could remember how to properly sit still. They looked like they had been caught stealing cookies from the cookie jar. He hadn’t seen either of them look so childish in a long time.

“What’s up, son?” he asked, coming closer to the boy only to be cut off by Doug.

“Well,” he said with crossed arms, “It seems that Steven didn’t drive himself here and it’s time for him to go home.” Then he glared at her daughter, “I was unaware Connie even had company over tonight. Something I plan to speak to her about and I suggest that you do the same with your son.”

“Uh, sure,” Greg said, catching on quickly, “Come on, kiddo. Let’s get out of here.”

“Alright,” Steven agreed, standing and heading towards Greg. He turned back to look at Connie. He looked like he wanted to say something but all that came out was, “Bye, Connie.”

“Bye, Steven,” she replied, watching him while sparing her father a few quick glances. After a hard swallow, she added a cautious, “Text me later?”

However, Mr. Maheswaran answered her before Steven could, “I wouldn’t count on that one, young lady!”

Greg saw Steven wince at the same time that he did and then Doug cleared his throat loudly. The Universe men both turned to look at him still standing at the door with it held open. All he said was, “I think it’s time you left.”

“Right away, Mr. Maheswaren,” Greg said while putting a hand on Steven’s shoulder. He pushed his son subtly towards the door. Steven was more than strong enough to resist but didn’t. He let his father lead him out the door. All through the walk, he glanced back at Connie. Normally Greg would have insisted that Steven say goodbye to and thank Mr. Maheswaran for the hospitality. However, as he led Steven out the door and towards his van, he got the sense it would be better to get the young man out of there. Preferably quietly and quickly.

Greg didn’t like to make assumptions about anyone but most especially not his son. He didn’t want to guess at what had gone down to cause a reaction like this in Connie’s father. But Greg had also been young once. He had been a teenager with hormones and ideas spending time with other teens who had their own hormones and ideas. His strict upbringing made the scene that was unfolding more familiar than it might be to other people. It was hard to admit to himself but Greg knew what this was. The puzzle pieces weren’t hard to put together.

His son had been…  _ caught  _ with his girlfriend and unsurprisingly her dad was not happy about it.

The father and son duo were already on their way back home before Greg even thought to say something about it. Doug suggested he talk to Steven but he didn’t dictate how he parented his child. Steven was a man in his own right now and certainly didn’t need Greg in his business.

“Geez, Doug Maheshwaran can be tough to please sometimes, huh? I forget that about him,” Greg said as a way to break the ice, “He could use a vacation!”

“Huh?” Steven said, turning from the window to look at his father. It was clear to Greg the boy had been in his own head. Replacing his confusion with an awkward smile as the words filtered into his mind Steven continued, “Yeah. Maybe a little. I don’t know if he would be able to find enough time.”

“You could probably recommend some good spots,” he said, trying to keep a conversation going between them. He wasn’t sure what else to talk about. Greg hadn’t decided yet if he was going to ask his son about what happened. If he was going to bring it up though then he should probably do it soon, right? He wasn’t sure. “You’ve certainly seen a fair share of states by now.”

“I don’t think that Connie's dad wants any advice from me,” Steven said with a blush, “At least not for a while.”

“Oh, that’s a good point,” Greg agreed with a glance back at the direction they came from as if he would have seen the other family’s house still. Not waiting to let silence dominate the ride, Greg glanced at his son and asked in hopes of changing the topic to something less awkward “Where’s the Dondai anyway?”

“It’s making a weird noise,” Steven explained, “I thought I should wait to drive it. Pearl and I are going to look at it tomorrow morning but I’m only supposed to be back home over the weekend and I wanted to see Connie.” Greg nodded as Steven added. “Lion dropped me off but I don’t know where he went.”

It seemed like Steven was telling the truth and his story did make sense. It left Greg with the feeling that his son was omitting something. Which he was because they both knew that he was. He was not telling his father why Connie’s parents didn’t know he was there, how her dad found out, and perhaps most importantly what exactly Steven had been doing when he was caught with Connie. Though again Greg was pretty sure he had a vague idea of the answers. The possible answers anyway if not the actual ones.

If he was going to ask then it should be then.

With a sigh, Greg began, “Steven, you know your privacy is important to me and I understand that you’re not a kid anymore but I’m still your father. I want you to understand that."

“What are you talking about?” Steven stuttered with panic in every word. He laughed awkwardly as he started to sweat and Greg could see it all. There was a blush on his face and his mouth twisted into an awkward position. Not quite a frown but not a smile either. His fidgeting returned as well. It evoked that same sense of childishness it did before. Steven may have been an adult but he hadn’t been one for long. His nervousness made that obvious.

“I’m not going to ask you to talk about anything you don’t want to,” Greg reassured, “But I have to at least ask; what happened back there, son?”

Steven leaned back in his seat with a sign of his own. He kicked his feet out and dug one foot into dirt that didn’t exist on the car floor. “We... “ he started sounding embarrassed and unsure of his next words, “I told you. Connie’s parents didn’t know I was there and her dad got mad when he saw that I was.”

“Is that all?” the older man asked, feeling disappointed and relieved at the same time. He didn’t want Steven to feel obligated to tell him anything and he wasn’t exactly looking forward to what the conversation would be like if Steven did open up about him and Connie. However, he also didn’t want his son to be hiding anything from him. Steven should have felt like he could share if he needed to. This might be something he needed to talk to his father about.

"We may have been…," Steven paused for a long time after catching his dad's notice. He was scratching the back of his neck as he breathed a hard sigh. He fell back in the seat. Finally, he admitted, "...in her room together."

Greg laughed. He couldn't help himself at the implication behind his son’s words. Leaning over to elbow his son he joked, "Oh is that all, Casanova? It makes sense. You’re about the right age to be giving a pretty girl that old Universe charm."

"Dad," Steven whined loudly, burying his face in his hands.

"I'm sorry, Schtu-ball," Greg chuckled, "Though I can't say I ever expected you to be caught fooling around with a girl behind her parents' backs. Doesn't seem like you."

Steven groaned then mumbled to himself, "We weren't fooling around."

“Well you must have been doing something,” the older man challenged the denial, “I've peed-off enough parents in my day to know the look Mr. Maheshwaran was giving you.” Steven sat up straight in his seat, gripping the sides hard and looking embarrassed. Greg held his hand out to his son to reassure him, “Don’t worry. I’m not asking you to tell me anything you don’t want to. But I don’t want you lying to me either.”

“I’m not lying,” Steven sighed, sinking in his seat again, “We weren’t fooling around, I swear.” Then he turned if possible even more red, “We were just… kissing a little bit.”

“Kissing how?” the father ventured. He somewhat feared the answer. His son was reluctant to implicate himself and that worried Greg. He knew where he felt the line between kissing and fooling around was but that didn’t mean it was the same for Steven. It was certainly possible as Greg had been the one to teach Steven about all this stuff when he was younger but he could also have his own definitions. There was only one way to know.

“Just kissing!” the young man insisted, “We weren’t doing anything else.”

“Nothing?”

“No, dad!”

“No hands or anything?”

“No!”

“Clothes on?”

“Dad!”

“Steven...”

“Yes!”

"Alright, alright," Greg said, nodding after the outburst, "I was just asking." 

A good parent should be informed enough on what their kids got up to. He was trying to be a better parent these days. It was what his son needed from him. Steven didn’t seem happy to have shared that information. He looked embarrassed. It was odd for Greg. The man hadn’t raised his son with much shame. To the point that sometimes he wondered if he should have. Though he was proud that he had always taught Steven to be comfortable and confident in his skin. It wasn't that his boy never got embarrassed, he just was never as down on himself or as defensive about being embarrassed as he was that day.

Perhaps it was just the topic at hand or maybe he had picked it up from the Gems or Connie. Whatever the reason, he was ashamed about what he had been caught doing with his girlfriend. That or at least ashamed to talk about it with his father. That didn’t seem good. Greg wanted to have a relationship with his son involving an open dialogue.

“Listen, bud," Greg said with his hand up, “You don’t have to go into details but it’s important for me to know that you’re being safe and smart when you make decisions. Especially with Connie. Whatever you two are doing. That's your business. Not mine.”

“Okay, dad, I’ll keep that in mind,” Steven said, leaning against the window to look outside. Greg had to watch the road and could only see half of Steven’s face but he still didn’t like the expression he made. The wheels in that creative head of his were always turning. Over and over again. The young man worried too much. His dad could guess at what he was worried about. Greg didn’t need to be a mind-reader to figure that bit of information out.

“I’m sure that things with Connie and her dad will be fine,” he said, keeping his words generic. It was equally possible that Steven was concerned with how either felt about him or concerned that Connie might be in trouble because of him. He had a bleeding heart. Greg had been lucky and got a great kid.

“I don't know. Mr. Maheswaran seemed really upset with us, especially with me,” Steven confessed slowly, “I haven’t seen him get that mad in years.

“We parents get protective of our kids,” Greg said with a shrug, “We worry about you growing up too fast, about getting yourself into trouble, and us not being able to help you. I worry about you out there, trying to take care of yourself in the world all the time."

"Okay," Steven asked while giving his dad his full attention for maybe the first time, "But Connie and I were safe. We were in her room. It's not like we were out doing anything dangerous."

"Well," Greg began in a slow, sad voice, "sometimes dads can think things are more dangerous than they actually are when it comes to their daughters.”

“Huh?” Steven said with genuine curiosity. Greg sighed. He wasn’t sure if his son’s naivete was nature or nurture. If it came from his failings as a dad or the gems confusion over Earth and human culture. Whatever the reason it made sense that Steven didn’t know about the weird way fathers could react when it came to their daughters and boys. He was a little proud that his son was too open-minded to even consider the double standard. He didn’t want to ruin that for him but it was just something dads had to do sometimes.

“Fathers worry about any boy getting too friendly with their daughters,” Greg said, “It’s hard for them to see their little girls as young women and they get scared about them getting hurt by some guy.”

“She wanted to kiss me,” Steven defended his choice.

“I’m sure she did,” Greg agreed, “It’s not about that, kid.”

"Well then what's it about?" Steven asked, clearly frustrated.

Greg wasn't sure exactly how comfortable either of them were with talking about this. He had shared conversations like this one with Steven in the past. That didn't make those talks something the two enjoyed or comfortable with. He was a father always willing to educate his son and answer all the questions he had. He never wanted Steven to lie to him about what he was getting up to so he never judged him for it. Even if they would both rather the need for these talks didn't exist.

"If I had to take a guess," Greg said, trying to push away his own nerves while deciding that they couldn't dance around the topic any longer, "Mr. Maheswaran is probably afraid that you might be talking Connie into some things she's not ready for.

"What?!" As expected, Steven seemed absolutely horrified by even the idea that he might do anything like that. In a way that made Greg proud. Steven sounded more confused than he was offended as he went on. "I wouldn't do that. I always ask her. Whenever I want to-" Steven cut himself off there. "Consent is so important. I ask first!"

"Whoa, whoa, slow down. I believe you," Greg agreed because he knew his son well enough to know. He was confident Steven wouldn't pressure anyone like that. If the boy had only taken one thing from their conversations, he hoped it was that. Greg had been in unfortunate situations back in his youth. He had witnessed issues with consent. He never shared that with Steven and never planned to either. The more important thing was that his son could hopefully avoid ever experiencing anything like that himself.

"But a lot of men don't care about that," Greg continued, "You know that. I'm sure Doug is great and that he likes you but," the man shrugged, "At the end of the day, you're still a teenage boy who was alone with his daughter in her bedroom and that scares him."

"Why?" his son asked, "What's scary about me and Connie just… kissing and stuff?"

"Because that means she's growing up," the father explained, "She's not a little girl and it's harder for him to keep her safe. Being a young adult is hard and he can't protect her from everything. She'll get hurt and he can't do anything about it."

"I wouldn't hurt Connie!" Steven insisted, getting defensive.

"People get hurt in relationships, buddy," the older man explained, "Even if someone doesn't mean to hurt you, you will probably still get hurt."

"Okay, okay I get it," his son conceded.

Greg intentionally turned down a different direction than the usual to extend the trip. If Steven noticed then he didn't comment on that fact aloud. He wished that could be the end of it but knew he had to address the other thing. He wasn't sure what was happening between Connie and Steven but a good father has to prepare his child. Greg hadn't always been the best at that. He couldn't undo mistakes of the past but could make sure he didn't do it anymore.

Greg didn't want to rush Steven but also couldn't wait forever. Once they had been on the road a little longer he spoke.

"And he might be worried," Greg paused, "That you and Connie are having sex."

Steven's face turned so bright red that Greg wondered how his heart managed to pump enough blood to his head. He had the van stopped at a red light so his son had all of his attention for the time being. However, the young man refused to look at his father even though Greg did not take his eyes off him until the stoplight switched to green.

"Oh." was all the young man said.

That response surprised Greg.

Steven had questioned every reason that his father had given for Mr. Maheswaran's anger and his actions. For better or worse, Steven was somewhat defensive during their conversation. Then all of a sudden that had stopped. He was no longer trying to defend himself. He simply accepted it. As much as he didn't want to press things, that worried Greg.

"Steven?" Greg questioned, "I don't want to go back on what I said. You still don't have to tell me anything you don't want to but," he took another pause, " _ Are _ you and Connie having sex?"

"What?! No!" Steven answered loudly, looking around as if anyone could hear them alone in the van. "Why would- uh- what would make you think that we've- Because we haven't!"

"Okay, okay," Greg spoke over his son, "It's okay, Schtu-ball, I believe you. Relax."

Steven's body sagged in relief. Although Greg was mad at himself due to the relief he felt. His son was old enough to explore himself physically with any willing partners. It was his business. That didn't mean that Greg himself never struggled with seeing his boy as a young man sometimes too. Maybe he had an easier time than Doug but Greg wasn't always as comfortable with the relationship their children shared as he would like to be. His son had done more than one foolish thing in pursuit of love for Connie.

A rare awkward silence settled between the Universe men after that. While he was not looking at him, Greg could tell that Steven was trapped in his head again.

"You alright, son?" he asked, 

"Of- of course," the younger man stuttered, "Why wouldn't I be?"

His father assured, "You can talk to me."

"It's nothing, dad."

"Steven, please," he almost begged him, "We've been over this."

Steven sighed, "It's kind of embarrassing."

"Oh yeah?" his dad teased, "It can't be much worse than the rest of this day…"

Although it was a nervous laugh, his son did chuckle. Before shyly, slowly he said, "Me and Connie aren't… doing anything like that," The pause between seemed to last for forever, "but I think I want to."

"Oh," Greg answered, his hand coming up to scratch the back of his head, "Oh boy."

"Yeah…"

"Well, you and me have already been through that whole dance, haven't we?" the older man said, trying to break the tension, "You know the basics. Unless you need a bit of a refresher. Because we can go over all that stuff again. I'll just have to swing by the storage unit and grab the books-"

"No, dad," he groaned, "I don't need you to go over it all again. I remember everything we talked about."

"Oh well if that's the case then what's on your mind?" he asked, his heart rate only calming the slightest amount. There was still an intense conversation to come and they could both tell.

"I have some questions about that stuff," Steven confessed, almost more to himself.

"Okay," Greg nodded, "So fire away, kid."

"Are you sure?" Steven asked cautiously, "We don't have to talk about this."

"Hey, I'm your rockstar dad," he insisted, "Answering all of those burning questions you have is part of the deal."

"Alright," Steven said, grabbing his arm. He took a deep breath and then turned to look at Greg. However, he must have lost his nerve or something because he quickly turned back away. "So how do I- how do I know I really want to- want... you know."

"Okay, hold on there," Greg started sternly, "Here's the first rule. If you can't say it then you're not ready to do it."

Steven groaned a second time, the blush on his face staining his skin in full force, "Fine. How do I know I actually want to have sex?"

"I don't have an answer for that one, son," Greg shrugged.

"But that's just the first question!"

"Sorry. These things are more complicated than that," he thought a minute, "I guess the best thing I can say here is if you think you want to do it then you probably do."

"But what if I don't really want to have sex with her?" Steven began in a bit of a panic, "Maybe I just miss her since I don't see her as much. Maybe I've just been thinking about her so much lately I think I want to have sex with her. Maybe I only want to have sex so I can feel close to her again."

"That's another tough one," his dad replied and almost wanted to take the opportunity to dissuade Steven. He knew that would be wrong of him though so he was honest, "But that doesn't mean any those things are bad reason to have sex with Connie."

"Huh?" his son asked with a raised brow, "They're not?"

"No, of course not," the father confirmed, "As long as everyone is on the same page then people can have sex for any reason they want to. You can even have sex just because you feel like having sex."

"Wait, really?" his son asked, looking as if Greg told him something more profound than people are allowed to just have sex if they want to.

"You bet, kid. As long as everyone wants it then you can all just have your fun with it." he laughed awkwardly, feeling as if he had given permission for something he wasn't sure he was actually okay with. In a panic, he added, "Safely!"

"Right," Steven nodded. His face twisted into a thinking expression. He opened up his mouth a few times as if he wanted to say something. He rubbed his arm roughly with one hand as the other clenched and unclenched at his side. Greg could see muscles flexing and relaxing as his son processed his thoughts.

Finally, in a soft, deep voice, Greg almost didn't hear Steven ask him, "But how do I tell her?"

Greg frowned, taking another turn to further stretch out their ride in the car. Again Steven didn't say anything about it even if he did notice. He was probably more focused on his concerns. Ones that Greg just wasn't sure how to address. However, he knew he could keep the boy waiting too long. It would just make things that much worse.

"So I'm guessing you and Connie haven't talked about this yet," he guessed with as much confidence as he could muster up.

Steven shrugged, "We've talked about it. Some of it. We decided we wanted to do it with each other at some point. And we…" whatever Steven followed that with was lost in a mumble.

"What was that, kid? I didn't hear you."

Steven chewed on his bottom lip, "We also agreed that it's okay for us to think about each other if we want to when, you know, we touch ourselves."

That was the most uncomfortable thing Greg's son had ever told him by far but all he could do was push past it. This was important to Steven therefore it was also important to Greg.

"Alright so, if that's the case then I'm not sure what the issue is, kiddo," he admitted.

His son groaned, "Because dad! I want to- I mean I want to have sex. With Connie! And I don't have any idea how to… tell her. I don't know what to say to her! Do I ask?"

"Well, I'm pretty sure you're not going to get an answer unless you do," Greg said with a bit of a chuckle. Steven's tendency to overthink had thrown a wrench into more than one of his ideas. With Connie, most especially.

"What?" the young looked up at him as if he couldn't fully grasp what he was told, "How? I mean, do I just… say it? Just walk up to her and say "Hey, Connie, I want to have sex with you. Do you want to have sex with me as well?" as if that's a normal thing to say?"

"Sounds like that would work out fine."

"I can't do that!"

"Why not?"

"Because!"

"Alright but I gotta tell you, that doesn't sound like much of a reason, Schtu-ball."

Steven sighed, sinking low into his seat with his arms crossed over. "It sure feels like a pretty good reason."

"Hey, now," Greg reached a hand out to pat Steven's shoulder, "Don't be like that. Tell your old man what's going on?"

His son looked strangely sad as if he was on the verge of tears as he answered with, "What if she says "no" when I ask her?"

"Steven…" Greg warned, worried about what his son was implying.

"Obviously, I would respect that," he said, putting his father's fears to rest, "But what do I say to her after that? What do I do?"

"Well, you do the things you normally do."

"We can't do that!"

"Why not?"

"Dad! It's going to be so weird! She's going to know that I want that! It's going to be awkward. What if she doesn't even want to hang out with me anymore? What if it just freaks her out?”

"It might be awkward," Greg answered honestly, "But you should have more faith in Connie. She's stuck around through much weirder things than her boyfriend wanting to sleep with her."

“Well then, what if I don’t want to be around her?” Steven continued, his voice low and still sad, “What if her saying “no” makes me feel... “ he paused as he scratched the back of his neck and then mumbled something again.

“Gonna have to speak up, buddy,” the father said loudly, “Not sure I caught that one.”

“If she says “no” then I’m scared I’ll feel like she thinks I’m ugly,” the boy admitted with a blush, “I know that’s not true. Connie tells me that she thinks I’m handsome all the time but sometimes when she doesn’t want to kiss it makes me feel like maybe she isn’t attracted to me anymore.”

“Oh.”

“Is that bad?”

Greg looked over at his son whose eyes were pleading and concerned. Of course, Steven felt bad about feeling bad. The older man had to keep the chuckle to himself. He wanted to have an open and honest relationship with his child but truthfully Greg wasn’t sure Steven was ready to have sex if that’s how he felt about it. It wasn’t his choice to make though. The only two parties who mattered in this situation are Steven and Connie.

“Rejection is hard,” Greg sighed, knowing the feeling well himself, “And no offense you’ve never taken well to it.” Steven looked slightly offended but he also didn’t contradict his father’s words. “But if she does say “no” then try to remember it probably has nothing to do with you. You guys are young and it’s possible Connie is just not ready for that.”

“Yeah,” his son nodded, “Yeah, it’s not about me. Connie loves me. She wouldn’t do anything just to hurt me.”

“That’s the attitude you’ve got to have,” Mr. Universe said with as big of a smile as he could possibly manage in this scenario. He noticed that he was out of wrong turns to take, “Keep your spirits up.”

“Right!” the younger guy agreed then went quiet. He stared at his feet with that thinking face on once again. After a moment of contemplating his flip-flops, he asked, “Dad?”

“What’s up, oh son of mine?”

“What if…” he swallowed hard, “What if Connie says “yes” when I ask? Then what do I do?”

Greg swallowed hard himself and fought back his urge to yell ‘No! You’re too young. You’re my baby boy and you shouldn’t even be thinking about this!’ Except he knows it’s far from the truth. His son was more a man at this age than Greg was when he was several years older than him. They were finally on their way through the town of Beach City. Something told Greg this wasn’t a conversation either of them wanted to have in front of the gems. Even if they would be staying up in what was now Greg’s room. He didn’t have much time so he told Steven the best advice he could think to give.

“Then you talk about it,” he answered with a slight shrug, “You talk about what you both want and what you’re not okay with. You figure out how you’re going to make sure you’re being safe. You do what you can to make each other feel comfortable then… you try to enjoy yourselves. It’s really all you can do.”

“Yeah, that makes sense.”

“Don’t set your expectations too high, though,” he warned through his awkwardness, “It usually takes some practice to get good at it.”

“Okay,” Steven said, stretching the word out long with a grimace, “I’m pretty sure that I’m done having this conversation now.”

“Fine by me, kiddo,” Greg agreed with another awkward chuckle.

They sat in silence again as the beach house came into view. Steven stared out his window for the rest of the trip. It hadn’t been an easy talk to have and all he could focus on was all the ways he messed up. Greg went over everything he had told his son, trying to make sure he didn’t give the boy any bad information. He mentally checked the important points boxes. So far, so good. He started to relax just as they parked at the bottom of the sand near the Dondai. Greg smiled over at Steven before getting out of his van. A moment later the young man did the same thing. He walked around the front to join his father as they headed inside.

“Hey, dad,” Steven said as they walked.

“Yeah, son?” Greg asked back, giving his son his full attention.

“Thanks,” the young man said, “For the talk. And for not being mad at me.”

“I’m always here to talk,” the father assured, “Or just to listen if that’s what you need. It’s what dads are for. I gotta help you now that you’re growing into a man.” Steven smiled at him and Greg reached over to ruffle his hair roughly, earning him an annoyed, “Dad!” to which he gave another laugh. This one was less awkward. He cleared his throat loudly to stop Steven before they went inside, however. His son looked his way, hand already on the door.

“I want to be clear about one more thing,” Greg said seriously, “Whatever you and Connie do, you better be careful because let me tell you, bud, you gotta be as ready as you can be if you, uh, end up bringing a new person into the world.”

“Oh,” Steven stuttered then cleared his throat before with a crack and his voice he said, “Right. I’ll make sure we’re smart about it.”

The older man let out a relieved breath before wrapping an arm around his only child who wasn’t such a child anymore. Giving the boy a wink he said, “Now how about we order us some pizza? I’ll bet you missed the slices from Fish Stew Pizza, eh Schtu-ball?”

“Definitely, I’m starving,” the young man said then reached into his pocket. His face went red and he gave his dad an awkward smile, “Uh, dinner’s on you, right?”

“Yeah, it’s on me,” the older man laughed, taking out his phone to order food.

He hadn’t been lying to his son. No matter how old your kids got, the dad thing never ended but honestly, Greg was just fine with that.


	2. Bees

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Every parent dreads having this conversation. Nobody wants to think about their kids doing... that! Unfortunately, sometimes something happens that forces your hand. After an incident, Greg and Doug have no choice but to discuss with their teenagers exactly what is going on between Steven and Connie.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Still weird...

The time between the call to Mr. Universe and him actually showing up felt like it took hours. Doug had kept the call with Steven’s father brief in the hope of getting the other man there fast. The sooner Greg got there, the sooner that teenage boy was no longer in his house. That was an idea that appealed to Doug at the moment. He had almost driven the young man home himself but he wasn't sure he could refrain from scolding him if they were going to be stuck together for that long. His daughter made for a good buffer that kept Doug from verbally tearing into the teenage boy. There was no way to have a conversation with Steven with Connie there. She would insist on being included and…

Well, the best way to put it was he had yet to work out what he wanted to say to Connie about this situation.

For the time being, no one who occupied the living room spoke. The two teenagers had seemed to debate for all of three seconds whether to sit side by side on the couch only for each of them to decide it wasn't that good of an idea. So they both ended up basically hugging opposite arms of the couch and not looking at each other. Doug was fine with the arrangement. As unrealistic as the idea was he never wanted Steven to be near to his daughter again. He was barely alright with them being in the same room. He was counting down the seconds until that Universe boy was heading out of the door.

Doug couldn't bring himself to sit. He had tried sitting on the other couch and glaring at the two young people with intense eyes, stewing in rage. However, he was not exactly what one would call an intimidating figure. The eye contact only seemed to encourage Steven to attempt having a conversation with his girlfriend’s father. He began to apologize multiple times and Doug had cut him off each time.

Soon after the young man had tried to explain their actions instead but again the older man would not let him finish. That was the only way Doug could keep his calm. With them all sitting in silence. He didn't want to subject his only child to the words he was thinking about barking at her boyfriend. He wanted so badly to throw the boy out of their home and ban him for life.

Even he knew that was unreasonable. But how else should a father react to finding his daughter with a young man in the way he had just found Steven and Connie? Her boyfriend wasn't ever supposed to be in her room. He wasn't even supposed to be in the house when he and his wife were both out. Yet Doug had come through the same front door he was pacing in front of to find a familiar pair of pink flip-flops hastily thrown by his daughter's shoes and an easily recognizable varsity jacket ungracefully tossed across their coat rack. That would have been bad enough on its own had he also not found what he did in Connie's room in the minutes following.

He saw Steven first. It was hard not to when the young man’s body was almost fully blocking Doug’s view of his daughter. He was practically laying on top of her. The two were sprawled out in her loft bed, barely within his sight with their limbs entangled while they passionately kissed.

The scene had not lasted long. Connie saw him moments after he opened the door to her room. She stared wide-eyed at her father past Steven with a shocked cry of "Dad? You're home early!" 

Steven had turned around quickly to look back at him as well. He hit his head on the ceiling then rolled away from Connie in a panic. He ended up hanging off her bed before he dropped himself to the floor but he slipped and landed on his back.

“Steven!” his daughter cried out in worry as she crawled to the edge of her bed to look over and check on her boyfriend.

Steven had scrambled onto his feet right after in order to begin spewing and babbling apologies and explanations at the older man. Both teens were out of breath, their young faces burned with dark blushes. Doug had herded them downstairs before they could get far into talking. He hadn’t seen any car outside and assumed Steven came another way. Though it was possible he had hidden it around the corner so as to sneak into Connie’s room more easily. Either way, Doug was already on the phone with Mr. Universe on the way down into the living room. He hung up with the boy's father ahead of informing him that he was going home  _ immediately. _

Steven had nodded with just a simple, "Yes, uh, Mr. Maheswaran, I mean, sir."

The man had decided to watch out the window for Mr. Universe as opposed to looking over at the couple on the couch. They had been brought downstairs quickly which had left them no time to fix their appearance first. It was something Doug regret not allowing them the chance to do. As this meant they attempted to do so at that moment.

When he had found them upstairs they had been... less than presentable. While they were both entirely clothed (thank goodness!) their shirts were askew. Steven's hair had been sticking up at an angle until he had started to finger comb through the messy curls. Connie's fingers were also hard at work straightening her hair which was a mess. Their skin flushed and their faces were covered in sweat. All of it together implied things that made Doug's stomach turn and blood boil.

He didn't want to consider his daughter in that way. It bothered him that anybody could view Connie like that. It bothered him that Steven Universe clearly saw his little girl in that context. The idea was one of those things fathers knew on some level was the truth but also didn't ever want to be aware of. It was an idea that made him more than happy to usher the young man out the front door with his father leading him away. Though the man didn't like Steven looking back at Connie the whole way. Doug also wasn't a fan of her plea for him to text her. His daughter wasn't going to be seeing her phone for a long time.

He watched as the Universe van drove away down a familiar path until he couldn't see them on the street anymore. He felt as if he needed to make sure Steven was gone. That he would not be with his only child for quite some time. The back of the van was his only confirmation of that.

Then it was time. Something he dreaded but that he couldn't put off any longer. Doug had to talk to Connie about what happened. He had to address what she had done and what he had seen of her and the Universe son. However, he stayed staring out the window, unable to bring himself to even face her. What could he possibly be capable of saying about this when he couldn't even look at her?

"Dad?" she finally called, pulling him from his thoughts. She sounded both cautious and guilty. He hadn't heard her speak with so much uncertainty in years. She always had a fierce nature about her but it used to be hidden under the exterior appearance of timidness. The politeness had been only surface level. Underneath Connie was a creature of passion and determination. However, that simply wasn't the case anymore and it was strange to see her return to it.

With a sigh, Doug turned to look at her. She hadn't moved off the couch. She had not even slid over to take up more of the space. She looked small and vulnerable and so… young. She was his innocent little girl. His only baby. Yet she had been-

“You’re lucky your mother isn’t home,” he finally said in a stern tone while he made his way over to take Steven’s seat. He kept the same distance from her daughter, unsure how to look at her. “If she had been the one to find you two like that, she would have dragged that boy outside by his ear, thrown him to the ground, and forbidden him from ever seeing or contacting you again!”

“I know.” Connie nodded as she grabbed her arm, however, she gave him a curious look. “Wait. Does that mean you  _ aren’t  _ going to tell me I can’t see Steven anymore?”

Doug turned red at the comment. He hadn’t necessarily meant to imply it but apparently, he had. He cleared his throat, “Yes, well, you’re far past the age where we can tell you who you are and aren’t allowed to spend time with.” Then added passive-aggressively, “Not that you would listen since Steven shouldn’t have been in the house to begin with as your mother and I weren’t here.”

“I’m sorry, dad,” Connie sighed before panic seized her words, “But I didn’t know he was going to come over at all. I didn’t even know he was in town. When he showed up, I figured you were coming home soon anyway so it wasn’t a big deal. I would’ve texted you but Steven caught me off guard and didn’t think things through.”

“So he just showed up here?” the father asked with fierce accusation in his tone, his distaste for the young man growing. “Unannounced? Like some kind of delinquent?”

“Well, yeah but-” his daughter moaned as she cut herself off, “He didn’t know you weren’t here. With me at school and him on the road, we haven’t seen each other in weeks and he wanted to surprise me. He even brought me flowers.” She looked away from him as if she wasn’t sure if she should be sharing these details with him. Quietly, she finished, “He was… being romantic.”

“Sounds to me like he was planning all of this,” Doug said with more venom than he intended to. He hated to think the worst but something about it felt intentional. A young man showing up at his girlfriend’s house without warning when her parents weren’t home with flowers in hand to try sweet-talking her into se- 

It sounded more than just plausible. It sounded very likely, in fact. He would like to have said that it didn’t sound like much Steven, however. On another day Doug would have been sincere in that sentiment as well. He would not believe Steven was capable of it on any day he hadn’t caught the young man in bed with his daughter!

“Dad,” she groaned, frustration evident in her voice, “You know Steven isn’t like that! He wasn’t doing anything. He didn’t show up here with flowers to try and get me to-” She cut herself off with an annoyed grunt. She huffed, falling back against the couch with an embarrassed scowl. 

“Connie,” Doug continued cautiously, admittedly wanting to trust his daughter’s judgment but knowing all too well what went through the mind of a teenage boy. He leaned in a little closer and reached a hand out although he stopped before touching her, “You know that just because a guy is being sweet to you and he brings you gifts that doesn’t mean you have to do whatever he wants to. You’re always allowed to say “no” if someone, anyone, asks you to do something you don’t want to do.”

“That isn’t what happened,” she insisted, both her embarrassment and frustration obvious as she crossed her arms and looked away from him.

“Are you sure?” he asked, not wanting to spend any time determining which option was worse, that Connie had been pushed by her boyfriend or that she had actually wanted to… He shook his head to clear those thoughts, “You can be honest. If Steven pressured you, you can tell me.”

“No, dad. It wasn’t just him,” she said firmly, leaving no ambiguity to her participation in the act, “It was both of us.”

Doug’s relief Steven didn’t coerce Connie did nothing to soothe the uncomfortable knowledge that came with hearing she actively decided to take part. His daughter had not simply let a guy touch and kiss her in unseemly ways, she wanted him to. Perhaps she even asked him to do it.

“Even so,” he said, clearing his throat again, “What he did was inappropriate. You agreeing doesn’t change that. You don’t come over to a girl’s house when her parents aren’t home and you never go into her room with her unsupervised. I understand you and Steven feel strongly about each other but you shouldn’t be in bed with him in any way until you’ve gotten married! Let alone kissing the way you were.”

Honestly, Doug didn’t entirely blame Connie for rolling her eyes and then giving him a partially lidded stare. His progressive daughter had never bought into those ideas. She was too spirited for such concepts. Still, it wasn’t proper for a young woman to be canoodling with a young man outside of marriage. That was how he had been raised. It was how her mother had been raised. Their child was well-aware of that fact. She was also well-aware that her parents never dated. Neither in the way Connie was Steven were nor in a more traditional way. They had met one another in their early twenties when Doug was meant to be the chaperon during _ cousin’s _ dates with Priyanka. She had ended up liking Doug more than his cousin and the two of them decided to get married instead. They had never even officially gone on one date. It had worked out well for them.

Connie was different though. They had known from early on that wasn’t going to work with her. Still, they had other plans. They had raised her with the intent of allowing her to date however only for the purpose of marriage. She was not to be courted by anyone who did not eventually plan to marry her. Doug had truthfully and foolishly hoped that would chase most suitors away. Most guys didn’t want to be thinking about stuff like that at sixteen or seventeen, even eighteen. He figured he wouldn’t have to worry about too many boys coming to the door on the weekend looking to take out his daughter.

Except Connie had fallen for the one young man perfectly willing to date with an expectation of marrying her one day. A young man he learned to be quite happy with pursuing his daughter. Until, that was, he had found them together that afternoon. Now Doug would say he didn’t like that Universe kid much at all.

“Don’t give me that look,” he scolded, despite knowing he had no argument she would accept. “We talked about this already! We told you that you could date Steven but we set ground rules! One of those rules being he isn’t allowed in the house when we aren’t home. And what the two of you got up to is the exact reason why, young lady!”

“It wasn’t a big deal,” she argued, growling in frustration. She raked her fingers through her hair, undoing all she did to fix it. “We were just kissing. We’re allowed to kiss if we want!”

“Not like that you aren’t!” Doug growled. He pointed angrily at her as she scowled back at him. “You should not be letting a boy lay on top of you while kissing in your bed! It’s not appropriate and it’s against our rules!”

“We’ve done it before!” Connie snapped out of nowhere. Their eyes went wide at the statement. The young woman smacked her hand against her mouth as if she could take back the words after she’d already said them. They stared at each other in disbelief, never breaking eye contact as the information filtered into Doug’s mind.

The thought made his head spin, his stomach turn and his heart drop into his feet. Fears of what that meant began to make a home in his mind as he grappled with reality. The very nature of his concern might have been ridiculous on its own. Connie was in her first year of college. She had gotten in under early admissions but she was still far from a child. She lived on campus and was only home at the time for semester break. She had gone to visit Steven while he was staying in hotels and motels across the states. She was a young woman.

Of course, she’d made out with him before. He realized that he knew that. He was just in denial. He had just chosen to believe that she carried her parents’ rules with her when she wasn't there. She had done this same thing as a child. She had led them to believe she listened even when they were not around. He should have known that she wasn't doing that anymore as an adult than she was back then. He craved the ability to be disappointed in her. He could never feel that way about Connie though. She was the best thing he had given to the world and he could only feel pride in who she was. He also wished he could be disappointed in Steven. Connie however had made it abundantly clear that what she’d chosen to do with her boyfriend had been just that. A choice. Her choice. It wasn’t like the young man was disrespecting her boundaries in any way.

The only person Doug was disappointed in was himself.

“When?” he asked her with a break in his voice. He didn’t know what else to ask her. He wasn’t even sure she would answer. He wasn’t sure he wanted an answer either. He just couldn’t sit in silence with her and let those thoughts take over his mind.

"I don't know," she said from behind her fingers, "A few times. I don't remember how many times it's been."

He watched as his daughter slowly pulled her hand away from her mouth to wrap her arms over her stomach. She curled in on herself as if expecting to be scolded soon. He wished that he was strong enough for that. It had always been his wife more than him who knew how to discipline their only child. Doug was a cliche dad in the worst way as every time he tried to punish Connie, all she had to do was look up at him with sad eyes and she'd get off with a warning. He was still too amazed by her to ever be truly angry. He could never truly have been able to believe he had a part in making this amazing person. Connie was too great to have come from him.

She had though. She had been his baby then his little girl. She grew into a teenager that he couldn't help but be so proud of. What with her brains and grace and humor and the whole saving the universe stuff. Now she was a young adult. A woman in most respects.

Doug hated the places his mind went. Connie had just admitted to making out with Steven. She confessed to doing what Doug had just found the two getting up to in the past. She’d probably shared a bed with him before a few times as well if she felt comfortable kissing him in her bed. He would have liked for his thoughts to have ended there but obviously, they didn't. Connie was often alone with Steven out of anyone's view, not just her parents. Were they… had she…

It was an idea that made his heart beat in double time. Intense anger bubbled under the surface of his skin. Fear rippled just underneath it as well. The two emotions fed each other and caused a panic of rage and terror to stir inside him.

A conversation like the one that rattled in his brain was never one he would expect to have with his daughter. He had always assumed talks like that would happen with her mother. Only her mother. This was not his place. Doug didn't want the answer to his burning questions but was equally as scared to not know it. 

So with a deep, shaking breath, he asked his only, baby girl, "And how long have you been letting Steven do… do  _ that _ to you?!"

"Dad," she groaned, her face glowing and being clearly angry with her father, "I'm not "letting" him do anything! Everything we do is a mutual decision."

"That's not an answer, young lady."

Connie looked smaller as she bit her lip. He didn't know if she was attempting to remember the answer or stalling for time. Either way, he cleared his throat in warning. His daughter sighed.

"Probably most of the time we've been going out," she shyly admitted to him, "Which I know is against the rules but-"

"But?!" he snapped back at her, "There is no "but" here! Your mother and I told you that you could hold hands, hug him, and that sometimes, only if it was appropriate, you may kiss him! That does not include french kissing and… and… groping each other in your bed!"

"We weren't… groping each other!" she insisted, her face turning bright as she said the words, "We were barely kissing."

"Looked like more than just kissing to me," her dad argued back, crossing his arms.

"It really wasn't that big a deal," she said as she clenched her fists at her side and stared her father down. "Dad, I'm going to be eighteen in a few weeks. Lots of girls my age do much more than kiss their boyfriends."

Doug looked her over sadly. He didn't want to ask. He didn't want to know. But then what sort of father would he be if he didn't? With his own swallow and hard breath out of his nose, he asked, "Are you doing more than just kissing your boyfriend?"

Her eyes went wide again and her face turned dark. She glanced away looking at something on the carpet that didn't exist. The pause was killing him slowly. He didn't think he would make it to her answer when she finally got there. Slowly she brought her eyes back to his face.

"We're- No," she said quietly. There was no hint of a lie in her words. She was good at hiding things but not that good. If it was a lie, she would be less nervous, less shy. She would be more sure of herself so as not to cause suspicion. The fact that it was hard for her to say belaid the truth in it.

There was something else in there though. Something Doug wasn't savvy enough to figure out on his own. Something hidden that Connie didn't want him to know about. Doug knew he should have let it go and just taken comfort in the fact his daughter was apparently only kissing Steven, even if she's doing it in her while they entangled themselves in one another. He couldn't be content with that. It was his job to keep her safe and protected.

"Connie," he began, then with a swallow, he tried to speak as kindly as he could to his child, "Are you lying to me?"

"Of course not, dad," she insisted looking away from him.

"So you two aren't-" Doug cut himself off, telling himself he had to ask. He couldn't leave it up to chance. With a shake lacing his voice and a lump in his throat he said with as much authority as he could, "I will not ask you this again. Connie, are you… sleeping with Steven?"

"I- I- I told you," Connie said, looking back at him with panic in her eyes, "We've only been kissing. We don't do anything else!"

"But if you were," he continued, trying to find the truth in her words and sincerity in her eyes, "would you tell me that? If you were actually…" Doug had to take a deep and calming breath through his nose to steel his nerves, "...having sex with him, you would tell me?"

She didn't say anything to him after that. She held her stare with his a moment longer before she turned away in shame. She hugged herself tightly as she allowed the truth to wash over them. Connie wasn't lying to him at that moment but if she ever chose to… become intimate with Steven, she would not tell him. She would not have trusted him with that information. It was unclear to him whether she would even tell her mother. Would she just hide that part of her life away? Forever? It bothered him more than he expected it to.

"We're not going to do it anytime soon," she assured him, "So it doesn't matter."

That statement was one that Doug clocked as a lie.

"It does matter!" her father said as if what she said was a wrong answer, "You can't just go around with boys, and… and…"

"I'm not sleeping with Steven!"

"But you might!"

The reality of the statement shocked them. There was a very real chance Connie was going to have sex. There was a chance that it would be soon. If she did, Doug was certain of two things. It would be with Steven Universe and Connie would tell neither of her parents about it. That wasn't even remotely okay. That wasn't safe and as much as he didn't want to think about it, Doug couldn't live with that.

"I-," Connie sighed and shook her head, "Not any time soon. Don't worry about it."

"I am worried, though," her father insisted. He dared to reach out and grab hold of her hands, "Connie, if- if you're even just thinking about that then I need to know that you're being smart and safe and not putting yourself in danger."

"Dad," she moaned, then added, annoyed, "It's Steven."

"I don't care who he is!" he barked, "I don't care that you've known him your whole life or that he's your best friend or any of that. You need to know how you can take care of yourself in the scenario."

"I don't think I understand what you mean," she admitted as he held tight to her hands.

"Connie," he began slowly, "You're young. You have your whole future ahead of you and... you really shouldn't be having sex right now." He saw his daughter begin to roll her eyes before he continued, "But if you do then we, your mother and I, need to know that you're being safe and smart about it."

"What?" she said, mouth dropping open. Doug was shocked by his own words too. However, what he had already seen and learned that day had scared him. He didn't like any of it. He was terrified of the idea of his daughter entering that world at all but if she was going to then she was going into it as prepared as possible!

"We've talked about this, young lady," Doug continued to explain, "You said that you would be honest with us from now on about what's happening in your life. If you aren't doing that then I- I mean we can't protect you."

"What are you saying, dad?" she asked, looking at him with suspicion in her eyes.

"I'm saying that I want to forbid you from doing… that," he confessed, "With him or anyone else." Connie let out a rough sigh of anger before he could finish his thought. He cut her off with a soft tug of her hands. "But that's not going to happen, is it? If you want to… sleep with Steven then you are going to. I can't stop you. But I'm not going to pretend that I don't want to."

"You don't have to do this," Connie said as her face burned dark, "We don't have to talk about it. Nothing is going to happen."

Doug wanted desperately to sigh in relief, drop the topic with a "Thank goodness" and send his daughter on her way with a short reprimand. But it wouldn't have been the right thing to do. He needs to be better than that. Connie deserved a good dad who she could count on.

"But we do have to talk," Doug insisted, "Because I want you to know you can talk to me if you need to. If you feel confused then I'm- I'm here for you, sweetheart and I'm not going to judge you or Steven."

"You're not?" she questioned, surprised.

"No, I'm not," he conceded. It wasn't true. Doug was going to judge that magic boy extremely harshly if he ever found out. That boyfriend would be public enemy number one in Doug's mind if he learned that the young man was having sex with his baby girl. He'd just keep it to himself. He would not make it Connie's problem. That would leave the door open for her to talk to him. If she needed to. "So long as you promise you will be honest with us."

"Okay," she agreed. Then she looked at the window with a hard stare. She was already embarrassed but then she pulled her hands out of his grasp to hug herself. He knew she was anxious and ashamed when she did. She swallowed hard when she faced him again and said exactly what he was expecting and was dreading. "I am. I'm thinking about having sex with Steven."

"Oh," Doug looked at the window this time. He didn't want to talk about this right then and there. Honestly, he didn't want to talk about it at all but he needed to be there for his daughter. He cleared his throat. He had to get himself composed.

"Dad?" she asked, sounding too innocent for this conversation.

"Your mother and I waited until we were already married," he informed her though she knew that. "We both expect you to do the same."

"Oh," she sighed, sounding disappointed. He hated it but not as much as the word he had to force out next.

"But if you don't," he continued, knowing she probably wouldn't wait. "The most important thing is to make sure you are doing it because you want to. And that you're being safe about it! Your mother could probably fill you in much better on… Well, on using… uh-"

"Birth control?" Connie supplied. He hated hearing her say it.

"Yes, um, that," he agreed and then put on the sternest face that he could muster up, "And be aware that you will not be allowed to partake in… that activity in this house. That is strictly forbidden. Starting today Steven is no longer even allowed to be in your room. Whether we are home or not! Do you understand me, young lady?"

Connie sighed, sadly, "I understand."

He wanted to punish her more but seeing the look on her face halted that. This embarrassing conversation felt like enough of a punishment for them both. Though he knew his wife would not feel the same way. So with a sigh of his own, he said, "But I won't tell you mother about this."

"You won't?" his daughter looks up at him in shock.

" _ Unless,"  _ Doug added with a firm point of his finger, "you disobey our rules again and bring that boy here! I don't want to see him anywhere near here for a month at the least! And you will not contact him at all tonight!"

Connie looked like she wanted to argue but probably understood she was getting more than she should have hoped for and kept her mouth shut. She nodded silently.

"Now," he finished, "Leave your phone and go to your room. I don't want to see you down here again until after your mother gets home for dinner. Then straight back to your room. Are we clear?"

"Yes, sir," Connie said with another nod then cautiously she attempted to confirm, "But you're really not going to tell mom? About what happened today with Steven?"

"I'm not going to tell her," he assured her, "And neither are you. We- we can keep it between you and me." He held his hand out towards her and demanded, "Phone."

Reluctantly, his daughter passed it over. Doug noticed she had a few texts from Steven already. He pocketed the device, deciding not to check it and grant Connie her privacy. Even if she had broken trust with her parents, she deserved respect. He didn't want to admit that he was also worried what messages a teenager who had been fooling around with his girlfriend earlier that day would send. Doug would rather not know.

"To your room," he then commanded with all the authority he was even capable of, which wasn't much. She didn't look like he'd intimidated her. She just slowly stood and made her way towards the stairs. As if she couldn't believe what just happened. Honestly, Doug couldn't believe it either as he rubbed his hands against his eyes, pushing up his glasses in the process.

It was the kind of honesty he and his wife wanted from Connie though. She wasn't their little girl anymore. She was a woman and she was going to make choices that they disagreed with. They simply couldn't keep her safe if they fought her on things. It was a reality he hated but one he had to learn to accept.

"Hey, dad?" he heard her call from halfway up the stairs. He removed his hands to look up at her. She looked much more like an adult from below. He didn't like it at all.

"Yes, Connie?" he responded as he stood to better be within her sight.

"Thanks," she said, shyly, "For everything."

"I-" he faltered with his words as he spoke, "Go to your room." She nodded once more and looked sad as she did. It wasn't until she was at the top of the stairs about to turn to her room that he called back to her, "You're welcome."

After that, she was gone. Doug stated up at where she had just been a moment longer. Finally, he rubbed his eyes hard again with one last deep sigh. He found himself back on the couch, trying to come to peace with the conversation he had with his daughter. He also began to contemplate how he was going to tell his wife that she should talk to their child about birth control without letting her know what happened earlier between Connie and Steven. Doug would have to figure out something.

After all, no matter how old your kids get, you never stop being a father and as hard as that could be, Doug wouldn't change it for anything.


End file.
